Bingo – 1998 I took a road trip to Nashville during May. The weather in Houston was perfect when I left. The drive back a few days later was crazy – dense haze and hot. What a nice welcome to 4 months of hellish heat!

I am beginning to think that Katy has wussed out one too many times, and because this isn’t a storm or hurricane, they should become first responders and head to Veracruz Mexico to help put out the fires!

It’s way more common than that. They burn the fields every year to clear them.
So we get the smoke every few years – based on weather conditions.
Some years it’s worse than others.
But it’s been like this in the last few years – you just forgot.

@YellowRose, the only consistent thing Houston weather has this time of year is that the winds roll out of the south/south east off the gulf and typically at 10-20MPH at least. The wind carries this way each and every time.

People are just curious about whether or not Katy should evacuate. Concerned citizens trying to keep the rest of the population aware. With that being said, I think we should evacuate to the Hill Country. Heed the warnings Katy.

Wow Benghazi – IRS – AP scandals fill every other paper’s headlines. Not one entry on the Chronicle web page not one. Lets say smoke from Mexico is the most important story of the week. Hmmm. Wonder who the Chronicle editors are anyway. Hmmmm.

You’re so right – I have seen now news about any of these events anywhere. It’s not online, not on the national TV. Not a single peep! Benwhere? And my local paper has the gaul to post stories about what’s happening here in town! I’m outraged. I want my local paper to quit covering local news right this instant.

Anyone reading comments on articles here has seen you write this same thing. Perhaps you should turn to Fox News if you want news on those subjects and the big coverup story that they hoodwink their viewers with every day. Funny but I find the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld hoax of weapons of mass destruction much more disturbing and sad as so many have died for that lie.

It is very odd they don’t cover the biggest stories in the US.
Of course their liberal politics play a part – I’m sure they would be just like the IRS in saying “It’s not politically motivated” “we just coincidentally don’t cover these large stories that are negative against Obama”.
I’m glad they have stories like this one about the smoke in the air.
But when you deliberately avoid the largest stories in the US, people are going to mention it.
Be honest – if it was Bush in office – and the IRS went after liberal groups, an ambassador gets killed due to lack of security (plus our operatives being told they can’t go defend the embassy, and a cover up with lies to the American people), and Bush seized AP records without any legal defense allowed the AP –
wouldn’t those things be in huge headlines on the Chronicle?
Perry farts and it’s a huge headline.
So it’s fair to ask where these major stories are.

A UN team led by NASA’s Drew Shindell concluded that reducing black carbon emissions could reduce global warming by 0.5C. One recommendation is to end the burning of agricultural waste, estimated to produce 7% of global black carbon output. Burning fields also produce methane and ozone, both greenhouse gasses. Ending agricultural burning is one of 16 steps Shindell proposes to slow climate change as well as save about 2 million lives a year.

Nope…not allowed. The EPA will blame and then fine Texas for polluting the air and they need the money. When this happened before, the EPA and all the climate folks started screaming about shutting down the refineries because the smoke was killing everyone…until they found out it was from Mexico. Then the story just died but not the rumors.

My sister and a whole group of her friends are here from Lake Charles. I didn’t want them to think that our city was smoggy so thank you for the article Eric. I sent it to her. They’re here for Denise, her best friend who had breast cancer surgery at M. D. Anderson. Houston, please pray for her recovery and remission. Thank you all.

This current example of smoke blowing in from southern Mexico is a very visible example of why international cooperation is needed in environmental matters. Unfortunately the CO2 emitted by human operations around the World is not visible, only its effects are and will be even more so as time goes on.

The old saying what goes around comes around pretty much covers the bases on this subject.

Sort of reminds me of a bumper sticker on a jacked up pick-up truck I saw the other day claiming “Drilling =s jobs” period end of story so the driver of this trucks seems to think. The trouble is he can’t see beyond his front bumper on this issue.

God only knows what pesticides are in the smoke. I can’t even let my son with asthma go outside on days like this. Has our govt even tried to talk to the Mexican govt about it? Is there no international body that oversees stuff like this?? It’s so ridiculous!

Why isn’t VP Gore down there (via private jet) demanding that somebody else (not him or his money, of course) teach these farmers to fish or hunt so they can stop this horrible, earth-destroying farming?